Twilight sighed as she prepared herself to start recalling all of the events—trying to find some connection between all of them and Discord, but she was hard-pressed to convince herself at this point. After all, she believed that Fluttershy had reformed him…
So she knew the only pony she could talk to about this was the yellow Pegasus, and mere minutes later, she found herself at Fluttershy’s stoop. With a soft knock, so as to not startle both the pony herself or the animals in her care, Twilight announced her presence.
“Hi there, Twilight,” Flutters said as she opened the door. “What brings you out here?”
“Well, I think all the strange things that have been going on are a result of Discord’s magic, and you know him better than any of us do…”
“That’s true, I suppose,” Fluttershy admitted.
“So what possible reason could he have for playing such mean pranks on me?”
“Twilight…” Fluttershy said with fear in her voice.
“Talking about Discord isn’t that scary, Fluttershy.”
“Behind you…”
Twilight turned to see that there, behind her, was a lion lying on the gravel path.
“That’s strange… I don’t remember you keeping lions.”
“We need to get into the car, Twilight,” Fluttershy commanded in her unassertive tone.
“Car? What’s a car?”
Fluttershy was already half-way to a mechanical contraption with four wheels that resembled a carriage, but didn’t have a hook for a pony to pull it. “Come on, Twilight!”
Twilight looked back at the lion, who was lying there quietly. “I don’t think that’s necessary, Fluttershy.”
“Oh, trust me, Twilight, when one sees a lion, one must get into the car.”
“Fine,” Twilight wasn’t about to argue this out. She trotted over to the car and climbed inside. There was a wheel, like the parade floats, and a large mechanical contraption she could only figure turned the wheels. She looked out the window and saw that the lion was still lying exactly where she had seen it before.
“Lions are very fierce…” Flutters said.
“I’ve seen you wrestle a bear, I know you can take care of a lion.”
“Maybe, but I don’t like to take chances.” Now there was an understatement if there ever was one in the history of statements.
“You went up to a growling manticore, and you’re having a problem with a lion? A passive one at that?”
“Chances, Twilight, I don’t take them on purpose. I like my legs and wings and head all attached and where they’re supposed to be.”
Twilight could only roll her eyes.
“I suppose we could still talk about Discord in here.”
“He’s been a good Draconequus, he comes by for tea every week,” Fluttershy said.
“I still think he’s involved, and you are my best bet at finding out if he is,” Twilight insisted.
“I can ask, Twi, but I can’t make a promise. I wouldn’t want to break it.”
“Thanks, Fluttershy.”
Together they waited in the ‘car’ until the lion got up and walked into the Everfree, at which point Fluttershy crawled out of the car and beckoned for Twilight to follow. The sun was setting low over the horizon, and Twilight still had no answers. She could only write Princess Celestia about this new strange case.
Case 45:
I stopped by Fluttershy’s cottage today to ask her to look into whether Discord is in on these ‘Strange Cases.’ She says he comes by for tea every week.
The strange thing, though, was that a lion appeared and we had to get into this strange contraption she called a car. As much as I attempted to convince her that it was perfectly fine—I’ve seen her take down a bear before—she insisted we stay in the car.
Your Most Faithful Student,
Princess Twilight Sparkle
Discord held the letter in his claw as he snickered by Stained-Glass Celestia. “I suppose you don’t find the humor in this like I do, Celestia,” he said to the glass, “but it’s a real riot!” He smiled. “I suppose you should write her a letter back…”
Dearest Twilight Sparkle,
Your work on observing and studying these strange cases seems to be coming along nicely, however I must ask that you not pester Discord. I have him on a special project, so he is too busy to be in on this course of investigation.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia
Twilight received the letter and looked it over. There was something off about it, she just knew it, but what exactly that was, she would have to look over tomorrow, as the sun was sinking too low for her to focus as drowsiness set in.